Forgive, Not Forget
by SecretlyBeautiful
Summary: Max is mad at Alec. What's he done this time?


Max tightened her long brown ponytail forcefully onto her scalp. She let the hair fall from her thin fingers and cascade down her back. After not cutting her hair for a few years, it was down to her waist, even in ponytail form. She strolled to her locker, thirty-four minutes late as always, with one thought on her mind. _Just ignore him._

Alec had been out too late that night. The mission had gone partially awry; Alec had stayed to keep people alive. But damn it, Max wished he could have chosen someone else to be the savior! He had apologized, but Max wouldn't give it up. Well, partially. Now he had given her other excuses to be pissed. _If I wasn't ignoring him, Alec would pay. _

"Hey Cindy," Max called to her former roommate. "How's Cha Cha?"

"She good, boo. It's you I'm worried 'bout. You alright?" Cindy's curls fell upon her frowning, concerned face. Without a glance from Max, she got the worst response thinkable, which happened to contradict itself as she said it, as her girl hurried away.

"I'm always alright."

OC sighed, wondering when her boo would change her answer.

* * *

Max peddled through Sector 4, annoyed. She searched for… _what's that address?…_ 1305 Lemon. Not that she ever really forgot. _I never should have gone on this run with him. _

She waved to Mrs. Chun, who she saw everyday. At 10:12 AM, Mrs. Chun would come get her mail. She said, "Take off that hat! Show the world that pretty face of yours."

Max always obliged. Looking to her left, she stuck out her tongue at her victory over Alec and slipped that baseball cap neatly in her messenger bag. _I told you so. I can't believe I agreed to ever wear that stupid thing…Alec and his stupid bets…_

Approaching 1305, Max looked at her watch. 10: 17AM. _Right on time._

She waited impatiently, tapping her foot against the ground. _He always takes forever. I bet he was flirting with the customer…_

"If you don't hurry up, I'm gonna kick your ass!" Max called up to the door of 1305 Lemon. The appropriately yellow house creaked slightly in response. 10:23AM. The skinny tan girl restarted her bike and continued along the winding gravel path. _Alec can do his own runs.

* * *

_

Max, finally finished with her deliveries and still pointedly ignoring Alec, waltzed into Jam Pony. She handed Normal her clipboard, filled to the brim with signatures. Without waiting for a response from the forever-annoyed boss, she forged on into the graffiti-ed workplace. Heading over to her locker, she took the longer route to avoid stopping at Alec's locker. But he had followed her anyways.

"Come on, Maxie, you can't still be pissed at me. I didn't mean to come in late and you know it! Plus I'm too cute not to forgive." He'd said, giving her his best puppy-dog look. His pink lip pushed out, he had been impossible to resist.

"Yeah, yeah. You better make it up to me later." She mumbled, knowing he heard her. That telltale smirk was on his face; she didn't even need to be close to him to know that. He was undoubtedly thinking something about being in her bed or something. She'd never let anyone know that's where she wished he were right now.

"Boo? Are you just going on home again?" Cindy asked. Max hadn't noticed her come up. Odd, since she had that transgenic hearing…

"Yeah, Cindy. Heading over to TC to check up on the situation. And no, I won't go out tonight. Thanks though." Max left before OC could get out a word.

* * *

Max sped along on her baby, constantly analyzing her life. She knew what she had to do. She knew it all along. She couldn't help but fall into this fake life; she had always pretended with him, never seeing the truth nor wanting to face it. Could she finally be honest with him? God, it had taken her long enough. _Get over yourself, Maxie. He deserves to know._ Max swiftly switched her direction. She had to visit Alec.

* * *

11:47PM._How weird. For the first time in years, I'm not crying myself to sleep._ Max sighed to herself.

"Look. I'm going to be honest with you. And with myself, for once. Alec, I…. I love you. I don't know when it happened. Just…. All of a sudden, just thinking about you gave me shivers. But now I'm done ignoring you. I was mad at you that day. Why? Because I was worried. I don't know if I ever really told you that. So I keep reliving that pain. That… feeling, that day. I never got over that. And I'll never stop being mad at you from leaving me the next day. Not even letting me say goodbye. Even so, I'll never tell you goodbye. I guess that's why I'm here. To be honest and tell you that I won't let you leave me. Damn it, Alec, you're the one who would always be there. You said so."

Max ran her fingers over the smooth stone. She let her fingers roam, finally tracing the letters engraved on the marble slab. She looked at that name, the name that drove her crazy, and kissed Alec for the first time.

"I'm sorry," Max whispered, "it was overdue, but you knew it was coming sooner or later. Besides, you're too cute not to forgive."


End file.
